Days of Our Lives, past and present

Catch up

I just finished watching Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday back to back to back. So excuse me if my thoughts, and my comments, are a little jumbled here.

All three episodes were very good, but a few scenes stand out.

The first is Kayla babbling to Hope about Steve’s kiss. She was so obviously thrown by what had happened, it was really adorable.

I think he likes me. Do you think he likes me? But I don’t know if I like him. I mean, I know I don’t like him. Not that way. I can’t believe he grabbed me at my place of work and kissed me like we were teenagers. Because I’m not acting at all like a teenage girl with a crush right now.

Hope’s knowing smile was perfect, as was her line that the kiss was “the most interesting part” of the story.

I loved Caroline and Victor bantering and teasing each other, and how Caroline called him “Kiriakis.” Showing you’re never too old to flirt. Hee!

Another scene that stood out was the scene between Sonny and Paul. I’m becoming a PaulSon shipper in retrospect. Sigh.

The dialogue was so well written, how Paul talked about “everyone” in Salem who loved him, and Sonny responded using the same language. But both of them obviously knew that they weren’t talking about “everyone,” but about Paul. Sonny’s line that he couldn’t accept even love right now from “everyone” was so bittersweet.

So, I picked this nice picture even though you all know how I feel about this couple:

Part of me was jumping for joy that they set their wedding date for Valentine’s Day, because I know Shawn Christian is leaving before then. That means they will not make it to the altar, so yay. But everything else about their scenes was a big WTF. They reminded me of the Haiden scenes from the summer, so happy (and extremely cheesy and schmaltzy), but no story. I honestly can’t think of a story reason for the scenes, other than to establish their wedding date. And that a pop song at the end! Songs cost money, and I find it really odd for them to spend that money on Nicole and Daniel.

One thing that I can now say is a flaw in this new writing team is how they write for non-rooting couples. I have already talked about Abby and Hope, how infuriating it is to see them believing in their men so blindly, and how nothing seems to make them question their choice. I really liked the Chabby scenes in the hospital, but it is driving me a little crazy how Abby can’t take the next logical step: if Chad is innocent, Ben is lying. And if Ben is lying … ?

Some good movement in the Rafe, Eduardo, Gabi, and JJ stories. I wanted a little more drama with the reveal that Eddy is Gabi’s father, but I can see they are setting up her softening towards him. I’m glad she went to his room, but I’m also glad she went away without knocking. That would have been too fast. I’m not sure how I feel about JJ becoming a cop, and I definitely side with Abby on the fact that this is no time to make rash decisions. But I thought the scene between JJ and Gabi was sweet, and I liked how they used Paige’s death as something to bring them together – because I suspect that later it’s going to keep them apart. I’m cautiously optimistic about them.

And then, finally:

Our guys are together! I am so excited to have this story finally move forward. Seeing these smiles is a great break from all the doom and gloom, and I loved how even in this desperate situation, they are just that glad to see each other. Wonderful end to a Friday.

I was surprised (I’m doing much better avoiding spoilers now, it’s great!) by Shawn D’s appearance. Jason Cook is looking good, a little like a young Bo with that beard!

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12 thoughts on “Catch up”

I swear it was WTF Wednesday with Aiden’s weird out of body experience and then that dance in the pub in the middle of the day.

I agree with you about how they are writing for the non rooting couples. I think we had this discussion before but I try to imagine if my favorite love triangles had been written that way and it would have infuriated me. I try to imagine Kayla acting that way with Jack while still pining over Steve and i would have blown a gasket. I am not really invested in these current couples enough to really be bothered by it- but honestly because it is being written this way might be one reason I can’t get myself excited about the female characters enough to want them to be happy with the men I like.

We finally got the reunion of my favorite super couple…BO and STEVE! I do wonder if we are going to have some ISA involvement in this stuff since they are supposedly at an ISA “safe” house?

I think I like the idea of JJ as a cop. Then Roman can retire.

The scenes of Eduardo with all of his surveillance and notes makes me wonder what he is into. I hope they just focus on him and his family before Kate throws herself at him.

I had totally forgotten Jason Cook had been on GH until I saw him walk in the pub. He did look like a young Bo standing there. I’m so excited now that the Bo storyline is moving. I can’t wait for next week.

I was curious about Eduardo and all his surveillance. I am guessing it won’t go over too well with either Rafe or Gabi. But I expect Gabi and him will have bonded a little bit before the truth comes out.

I think his international security background will have implications for some of the other plots going on on the show. And yeah, I’m dreading the inevitable involvement with Kate. But until I have to see it, I’m going to enjoy what I can.

Imagining Kayla acting with Jack like Abby, Hope, or Nicole are with their current partners is cringe-inducing. Kayla was an extreme example, but I think one of the characteristics of the supercouple era is how clearly they wrote with an endgame couple in mind. I think the show deliberately avoids that now, because they want to avoid the supercouple trap of unbreakup-able couples. But having the women be so into a murderer, a Dimera stooge, and Daniel seems totally wrong if they want us to root for these women. Sigh.

When Steve and Kayla were a super couple big time, (I still think they are) they were a hit and now the powers to be think they still should be a super couple, but different than before. I liked the way they were before and are now when they get the opportunity to have scenes together. It all has to do with them being older I guess. But as Stephen said you can’t change them a lot. They are who they are. They can be so funny together in some scenes and I love that.

I’m on my tablet, so briefly: Eduardo OCD? Anyone else think he may suspect Ben also? His lines about Ben getting everything he deserves seemed pointed to me. I wonder if he was involved investigating the Westons previously. Rafe is REALLY suspicious of Ben now. Kudos to GG, because you actually saw the lightbulb go off over Rafe’s head Friday.

Kayla and Hope we’re perfect in their interaction about Steve. Kayla is normally so in control, it was funny to see her in a tizzy over a kiss 😁. Perfect spot for a Hope raised eyebrow.

I loved Wednesday’s Alice in Wonderland weirdo episode. They are taking some chances with how they are shooting stuff, and I like that. Thumbs up to Aiden’s fantasy sequence, and the way they shot Ben’s confession to Clyde. Thumbs down on the dancing. I hate that stuff in general, but why waste your music budget on the non- rooting couple? They should have saved it for Chabby.

Thumbs up to JJ being a cop. Thumbs down to both Jen and Abby’s hair on Friday (sorry, couldn’t help myself).

Abby’s hair was particularly bad! But at least she is suddenly pregnant now. Didn’t that happen overnight? 🙂 But actually that does happen sometimes, where they suddenly start showing.

I kind of liked the Aiden fantasy sequences, whatever you want to call them. How he was watching himself commit the murder. It was interesting because the vibe I got was not him agonizing over killing the woman he loved, but agonizing over having the nerve to kill someone period. And it was interesting how imagining it seemed to embolden him in the end. Anyone else remember that movie “Unfaithfully yours”? That’s what it made me think of. I’m guessing that his fantasy of how it will go will turn out to be totally wrong!

I was glad Abby said they couldn’t take the money. I’ve been disappointed in her that she seemed fine with accepting Clyde’s gift of the house. I wanted to hear more about whether she even thinks Clyde is guilty. It’s so frustrating to see how passive she is, she doesn’t think about the implications of everything.

Kayla’s reaction over the kiss was so funny because she never acted that way in the past. It must have been one heck of a kiss to put her into that kind of tizzy 🙂 Hope’s reaction was perfect because she was the only one that gave them any hope back in the beginning.

I’m also enjoying the fact that JJ wants to become of a cop. I hated both Jenn and Abigail’s reactions. Yes, I can understand they want him to finish his education first, but everything he’s been through, he’s already had an education. I enjoyed seeing JJ and Gabi together.

But my favorite scene of the week was the 15 seconds of Bo and Steve together. Just the look in their eyes and their grins made it all worthwhile.

Ha! You’re right that she was never thrown into quite that much of a tizzy before. I’m assuming the fact that it’s been awhile factors in. 🙂

That whole scene at the police station was odd. If I’m trying to present myself as police officer material I wouldn’t bring my mother and sister to come yell at me. 🙂 But it didn’t look like Roman was too bothered by it.

I would think Roman would be numb to overly dramatic family outbursts….he is Sami’s father.

And you are absolutely right that Kayla never had that kind of reaction to Steve before. But the other two times she was the one who was fighting for him. I just hope that they are not going to let her just forgive him when he brings Bo home. It’s ok it she softens toward him a bit but I need to see them talk about the past and work through issues.

I was happy to see Shawn D. The real Jason Cook Shawn D! I was never hugely into his romances (though I did like him and Belle, who is always Kirsten Storms to me, though Martha Madison seems a fine actress), but he’s such a part of DAYS that it gave my heart a flutter to see him again.

Blah to Lani and Rafe. Okay, I’m judging on almost nothing, but I feel blah about it.

Lucas. 😦 He reminded me of Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade for some reason on Thursday’s show. I love Johnny Cade, so it weirdly endeared Lucas more to me. Maybe it was him looking at the leaves changing that reminded me of Johnny and Pony looking at the sunset and nothing gold being able to stay and all that. Okay, that was a major tangent. Sorry. But I love me some Outsiders.

The Nicole/Dan dance. Weird. And, yeah, they blew pop song budget on those two? I didn’t even see most of the Nicole/Eric stuff, and I’m still way more interested in them. I don’t want Dan being the dead love of Nicole’s life with Eric being okay in Dan’s absence, thanks.

Speaking of budget decisions, how much did I love Hope’s dress in Aiden’s fantasy? But they gave her that dress not for her real wedding but for Aiden’s death wedding fantasy? But they couldn’t afford to put Jack in a suit this last return? Yet Aiden wears a suit. And Aiden is about .0001 times as significant a character. Sorry, I just can’t suppress the bitter Jack fan.

JJ cop. No opinion really. But somehow Jack’s son being a cop strikes me as odd.

But the highlight for me was the Abby/Chad stuff. I mean, I’m unlikely to rewatch their “I believe in you” scene the 50,000 times I’ve watched Abby’s parents’ “I believe in you” scene, but I liked it a lot. But Chad was in a coma. If his blue eyes had factored in, I might rewatch it not 50,000 times but a few at least. Although, as pointed out, as Abby clearly believes in Chad over Ben, what’s up with her?

Can’t see Jack’s son as a cop? Seem too blue collar to you? I was kinda surprised to see Abby react the way she did. Is that just because of Chad and maybe this stuff with Clyde making her dislike cops at the moment? It seemed strange she was so focused on him finishing school. It doesn’t seem like she has a great career or anything.

I’m starting to be blah on Lani and Rafe too. I like how they are introducing her character slowly, but with Rafe I’m not seeing anything, no spark. Her scenes with Abe were interesting today. She seemed more natural and relaxed in those scenes.

I enjoyed Abby’s scenes by Chad’s bedside too. I’m trying not to let her cluelessness about Ben ruin the story for me. I know for story purposes she has to stay with him. And I do kind of love Ben’s utter failure to get Abby to believe bad things about Chad.

After the baby comes and this story is resolved, I really want to see Abby get a more interesting career!

I guess Abby and Jennifer are thinking it’s too dangerous, but that does seem a bit thin. I’m not sure why it seems weird to me. Maybe just that Jack was so often annoying to cops, trying to get information and such. I’m not even sure what Abby’s job is. Some kind of hospital administration? Too bad one of them doesn’t go into journalism.